A State of Recollection
by Parallel Pairs
Summary: Philippines wishes he could go back to a simpler living, but unless America finally builds a time machine there's no going back. He can only think back to when he was only starting to learn how the world worked with his old friends and goofy, but helpful uncles. [MaleOC!Philippines. MaPhilIndo.]
1. Present Day

_"Hey, dude! We're having a world meeting at France's place. Three days from now at noon. We're all going to meet at Paris and the meeting will be held at Versailles. I think we should go together, I don't want to land in the Frenchy's territory without any back-up. Bring your neighbors with you. The more nations we have in the group the better_ – _more back-up. Y'all're gonna meet me at LA, all right? Don't be late, dude! ... America, who are you talking to? Stop pestering, Puerto Rico if he doesn't want to come! You don't see me forcing Falkland Islands! ... I'm not talking to Puerto Rico, England! Oh damn, I forgot to_ – _beep!"_

Philippines slumps down in his chair as he finished listening to a voicemail from America. He exhales loudly and closes his eyes. _Another world meeting would be nice_ , Philippines thought.

Surprisingly, world meetings helped him recollect and relax since it was a classified meeting exclusive to personified nations and their territories – if they came. Philippines has thought of suggesting that other nations who didn't want to participate should just guard the doors, like Switzerland for example, because Germany's loud screaming defeated the purpose of the meeting being classified, since human guards outside could clearly hear his never-ending lectures. Obviously, listening to a screaming German isn't exactly what everyone in the room would call relaxing, but it was one of the only times they could actually relax. Also, everyone looks forward to the buffet that follows the meeting. Philippines smiles. A meeting at France meant French food. _One of the best in Europe~_ , France would boast.

Philippines straightens up and reaches for his phone. He punches in the numbers for his call and waits for the nation at the other end to pick up.

"Hello, this is Singapore. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Singapore! It's Philippines. America asked us to meet him at LA."

Singapore let out a frustrated sigh. Philippines can almost see Singapore pinching the bridge of his nose. "World meeting?"

"Uhuh."

"At Mr. France's place?"

"Yeah," Philippines smiles at the tone of defeat Singapore's voice took on. This wasn't the first time the American asked the same favor from them.

"All right, you inform everyone from the Oceanic continent and the lower half of Southeast Asia. I'll notify the rest of Asia. Tell everyone to go straight to LA at the date America gave you and make a list of everyone who agrees to join us. Call me when you're done an – wait... Did America say anything about meeting us at the airport?"

"No," Philippines says as he twirls a pencil with his fingers. "But knowing him, he probably will. He might even wear that stupid disguise again."

"I hope you're wrong," Singapore says with a frown. Who wouldn't when they've seen America trying to "blend in with the public"? When America met them the last time, he dressed himself like a _Men in Black_ secret agent and held a sign that said, _'Welcome, AFJ Committee'_. Singapore shook his head and cleared his throat. "So, we all meet tomorrow outside Los Angeles International Airport at around 9 am Pacific Timezone."

"9 am Pacific..." Philippines murmured while scribbling on a small piece of paper. "That's so early... Anything else, Singapore?"

"Do everyone a favor and contact America as well, will you?"

"Sure, no problem. Thanks for your help, Singapore."

"Of course. Is that all?"

"Yeah, see you at LA. Bye!"

"Don't be late, Philippines," Singapore took on a serious tone. "You're in charge of the checklist this time."

 _Damn it, Singapore... clever bastard._ The younger nation pouted. "Yeah, yeah, I won't. I promise to set my alarm clock one hour earlier than the actual time."

"That would be much appreciated. Goodbye, Philippines."

" _Gudbay po, kuya! Lab yu~!_ " Philippines with a sickly sweet tone, much to Singapore's displeasure.

As soon as Singapore hung up, Philippines immediately dials three phones. Philippines' life wasn't always like this. Reading papers, signing papers, reading emails, replying to emails, sitting for hours in meetings, spending hours thinking about what to do with the government, thinking of a way to preserve the environment, thinking of a way to convince people to help him without using money, stressing over who to vote as the next leader of the country, etc. The daily problems of every nation. This is the norm now and Philippines wishes he could go back to a simpler living, but unless America finally builds a time machine there's no going back. He can only think back to when he was only starting to learn how the world worked with his old friends and goofy, but helpful uncles.

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Everything Hetalia is owned by Himaruya-sensei. I am not worthy to be credited to such a sophisticated combination of arts and literature. (thesarcasmisstronginthisone) All brands, songs, places, people, and movies that are/will be/might be mentioned/quoted are not mine. I own nothing but my laptop.

 **Warnings:** Rated T. Stereotypes and swearing will be present. This is not a documentation of the Philippines' history, this is just a very rough and kind of satiric take on the subject. Also, beware of perverts and popular ships in future chapters.

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _Flashback..._

 _Typhoons have been a pain in the ass since day one..._

 _Children are naturally oblivious..._


	2. Flashback Intro

_~(Flashback)~_

Young Philippines was known by many names due to the multiple kingdoms that were established in his territorial landmass. But he wasn't the only one with the same predicament. Most of the countries in mainland Southeast Asia were on the same boat. The only difference was mainland kingdoms experienced more conflict since the competition was stronger; _bigger landmass = more border conflict_.

Philippines had the advantage of being an archipelago, but there are times when this also becomes a problem. Typhoons have been a pain in the ass since day one and so was remaining unnoticed for years. Most neighboring kingdoms didn't have enough courage to venture out into the unknown. Luckily, Philippines wasn't completely unknown to the world, he was found by a friend - _Indonesia_ \- just weeks after he was conjured into the world by some mysterious, omniscient force.

Philippines was 'born' around the year 900. He was somewhat younger than his neighbor kingdoms, who were born hundreds or, at times, thousands of years prior. That didn't stop him from competing against them though. The special tool of a personification with multiple kingdoms is a very fluid personality; _multiple kingdoms = more diversity = multiple subconscious thoughts_. For personifications, being able to change from stupidly happy to dead serious could be an advantage if it happens at the right moment. It was a pain, but it did send a message to his humans: _don't infuriate me or else that volcano over there is going to explode_.

Just kidding, countries can't control natural forces. Although, there was one time when Philippines, Malaysia (whom he just met at the time) and Indonesia concentrated their stares for hours on a puddle just to see if they could make it move. Philippines still isn't sure which was crazier: the fact that the puddle didn't dissolve for hours or that they all went nuts and called themselves water benders, when a small gust of wind they clearly didn't notice created a weak ripple in the water.

And that was how Philippines met the kingdoms he would call "kak" for centuries to come.

…

Philippines remembers when he used to have clay pot making competitions with Malaysia and Indonesia. As fun as that was, they were always interrupted by their responsibilities. It felt like one moment they were competitively molding pots, then in the next they'd be in the middle of a heated conversation about politics. They were countries inside the body of children and because of that they got bored easily. One time, they accidentally fell asleep on each other's shoulders then woke up not remembering whether they agreed to act aggressively or defensively against attackers.

It was a weird way to spend his childhood, but it helped Philippines smarten up.

…

When he was a newly born kingdom, Philippines rarely left his islands. Indonesia and Malaysia were the ones who made an effort to send him news about the surrounding area. He got most of what he knew about the outside world from their stories. Scandals seemed like a good source of entertainment, until someone told them that a country's inhabitants defined how it is perceived overall by other countries. That "someone" was one of the two most prominent adult figures in Philippines' childhood: China and India.

Most children are naturally oblivious and straightforward, which was probably why Philippines was quick to assume that they were his parents. This wasn't the first time a young nation wrongfully called China their parent, but it definitely was the first time he was mistaken to be married to someone.

Philippines apologized profusely and promised to simply call them both uncle. But despite that, China couldn't stop cringing as India wasn't so keen at hiding his chuckles from his supposed "partner in life" and even went as far as to comment on China's porcelain doll-like features. Philippines learned early in his life that one must avoid China when he's angry, especially when the old nation's weapon of choice are giant pandas.

Philippines then set a goal for himself: become a giant panda; adorable yet potentially deadly.

…

Food is a part of everyday life and as a child, Philippines set another goal for himself: create the greatest dish anyone will ever have the pleasure of tasting. He did a lot of experimenting with India's spices with his self-proclaimed big sisters, Malaysia and Indonesia. ( _The former wasn't as enthusiastic about her declaration as the latter though._ ) Slowly but surely, Philippines created plenty of rice treats and even learned how to make rice wine. Eventually, he decided to challenge himself to create a dish that had every flavor. It didn't go so well, but it made him even more determined to try harder.

Of course, Philippines tried to get pointers from his uncles. He asked China and India if they could show him a few samples of sweets. They both happily agreed. China was eager to redeem himself from his violent response from their previous meeting by giving Philippines a taste of his special Chinese tasty treats. China silently hoped that Philippines was nation he was waiting for, the one who will finally like his sweets and praise his genius mind for inventing it. But as expected, Philippines didn't quite fancy the "tasty treat".

China wasn't really surprised and just gave Philippines a special moon cake as an apology of sorts, which the young nation enjoyed consuming. Most nations liked his moon cake, Philippines even gave him a hug for it. China sighed tiredly but with satisfaction. At least he didn't fully disappoint. On the other hand, India made Philippines realize that anything the older nation cooked will never be just one flavor. He thought of maybe asking India to tutor him in culinary arts, to which India admitted that he has thought of doing for all the Southeast Asians.

In the end though, India didn't have enough time to do what he wanted and Indonesia and Malaysia ended up becoming Philippines' food guides.

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** From what I've been told, "kak" or "kakak" is the equivalent of "ate/kuya" or "manang/manong" in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Correct me if I'm wrong and feel free to ask me questions anytime. Constructive criticism would be much appreciated.

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _He viewed it generally as a cool thing..._

 _Always remember that aru..._

 _He didn't seem to believe anything..._


	3. Warfare and Alcohol

_~1000's, Philippines looks like a 1 year old~_

The time came when Philippines was old enough to receive details on warfare. The young kingdom had mixed feelings about war, but overall with childish innocence he viewed it as a cool thing. Charging into battle for the sake of your kingdom's safety seemed like a very noble thing to do, especially when China told him he didn't need to worry about dying because it rarely happened to kingdoms. Luckily, Philippines eventually realized the possibility of being dismembered and asked China what would happen then. China says he didn't know and that the only injury he's ever had that was even remotely close to actual death was breaking his femur.

 **"** It hurt a lot and it looked pretty bad, but it didn't leave a scar aru..." China pauses. "That would've killed a human, but obviously not me aru. I- **We** are different. When kingdoms heal, it's kind of like magic… slow magic aru. And sometimes you get a scar if your injury had any connection with your kingdom aru. Also, injuries inflicted by other kingdoms are deadlier and they always leave a scar aru. Do you understand?"

"Not quite, uncle," Philippines replied.

China murmured to himself thoughtfully, then continued, "It's like… like a battle scar aru. It stays because you did it for your kingdom, your people, and not just because you wanted to get your kite down from a tree aru."

"Is that how you broke your femur, uncle?"

"No," China answered flatly. "Anyway, back to the topic aru. So... do you understand? Nod if you understand aru."

Philippines still didn't quite understand, but he nodded anyway. Then, he asked China if he had any scars. The older nation bit his lip and hesitantly replied with, "I've been in power for... a long time, so it's only natural that I would have... _a few_."

 _Uncle China has battle scars?! That's so cool!_ Philippines thought in disbelief and amazement. The joy in the young kingdom's eyes might've suggested sadistic glee because China visibly shivered when he glanced at Philippines' direction. That wasn't the most comfortable meeting the two nations have had and the young kingdom knew it. It took quite a bit to send China into a rattled state, but Philippines managed to accidentally accomplish it at least once a month as a child. So as a sign of his sincere apology, Philippines decided to gift the older nation with a bottle of _lambanog_. Philippines realized too late how strange the gift was, especially coming from him, technically, a child. But he ignored his eccentric decision and decided that he might as well just go with it, he didn't have a back-up plan anyway.

"Sorry, uncle China," Philippines said, grinning sheepishly as he handed China a bottle of what is essentially coconut vodka.

"Well, when you're older you'll understand why I thought your response was a bit… unsettling aru," China said while eyeing the bottle he was given. Thankfully, China simply smiled and ruffled Philippines' hair. Although seemingly very reluctant to accept the bottle, China's eyes had a small spark of pride in them, which boosted Philippines' confidence. It seemed like in that stage of his life the most important accomplishment he could make was impress an adult.

"Conflicts between nations should be frowned upon, remember that aru," China said, looking at Philippines for a while before returning his gaze back at the bottle.

"I will, uncle!" Philippines said, cheerily. In the future, he will appreciate China's words more, but for now he's content with just making everyone smile. "You know, uncle India said that children had a natural aura of creepiness that surrounds them. Is that correct, uncle China? Is that why you reacted like that?"

China didn't give an answer, but his face had a look that said: _Yup, pretty much aru._ He continued to examine the bottle. If he looked at it for more than ten seconds without saying anything Philippines would've asked him if he was trying to use his non-existent telepathic powers to make a tiny coconut vodka cyclone. But before Philippines could ask, China regained his composure and shared his thoughts.

"Púduānguó, this… looks impressive," China started, "but aren't you a little too young to be making this kind of drink aru."

"Really?" Philippines asked, a bit surprised. "But uncle India said it was fine."

"No, it isn't aru," China knitted his brows, an expression of annoyance was visible on his face.

Philippines apologized even though he wasn't entirely sure what he did anything wrong. He didn't want to get smothered by pandas. Malaysia and Indonesia theorized that maybe the cuteness had something to do with the animal's efficiency as a deadly weapon. He fully supported that theory. China sighed and said he wasn't angry at Philippines, rather he was disappointed with India.

"How long have you been producing this product aru?" China asked.

"Ever since…" Philippines paused, blinking a couple of times, "That one time… I saw you were drunk, I think. You seemed pretty happy so I thought that if I gave you some of this you wouldn't feel uncomfortable anymore!" Philippines ended his honest answer with a smile.

China's eyes dramatically widened. "I was what aru?"

"Happy!"

"No, the one before that aru."

"Drunk," Philippines said, not noticing China's discomfort. "Pekan, Srivijaya and uncle India were there too. Uncle India told us that you were _flying on the wings of the rice_." Philippines laughed, remembering how China skipped around like a child. "What did Uncle India mean by that? It makes no sense; rice can't fly!" China remained silent. "Are you all right, uncle?"

China's reaction answered Philippines' question. He didn't faint, but Philippines thought he almost did. China's perfect posture melted to a slouch as he started muttering _I'm-a-bad-role-model aru_ , _why-did-I-even_ , _stupid-India-aru_ , _how-drunk-was-I_ , _I'm-so-irresponsible-aru, etc._ Through it all, Philippines tried to reassure him that he was the finest role model a young kingdom could ever hope for, but China didn't seem to believe anything he told him. He continued to sulk and mutter under his breath.

...

Later that day, Malaysia and Indonesia arrived with a crate-full of rice wine bottles to trade. This time China really did faint and India was there to witness his fall. Whether it was caused by exhaustion or frustration, Philippines never asked. Instead he took the liberty of fanning China until he regained consciousness.

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** **Púduānguó** ( _established in the year 1001_ ) - is what the Chinese called the kingdom of Butuan, an ancient Indic polity centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines.

 **Srivijaya** ( _established in the year 650_ ) - was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. **Pekan** \- was an important site in the kingdom located in the modern-day state of Pahang, Malaysia.

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _He'll live..._

 _Think of it as just a harmless prank..._

 _I'm pretty sure we all saw it coming..._


	4. Hot sauce and Goryeo

_~1100's, Philippines looks like a 2 year old~_

China had the storm season cataloged, but as we all know: weather can be very unpredictable, like India.

It was an hour past daybreak. China had stayed overnight at Philippines' kingdom due to a brief storm that hit just as he was getting ready to leave yesterday. He was sleeping peacefully inside Philippines' home with a panda snuggled up by his feet. Unexpectedly, India arrived quite early with Malaysia and Indonesia that day. They quickly set up barter stations and went straight to Philippines' house. As soon as India spotted China, he squatted beside the sleeping empire.

"Butuan," India called, pulling a small bottle out from his sleeves. "Should I or should I not drop hot sauce into China's mouth?"

"Is that safe, uncle?" Philippines asked.

"Well… he'll live, that's for sure," India said with a smile on his face.

"Um..." Sometimes Philippines wondered if India really was an adult.

Indonesia and Malaysia curiously looked over their shoulders. India winked and put a finger to his lips. He poured two drops of hot sauce into China's mouth… then not-so-accidentally added three more. They watched with a combination of amusement and horror as China woke up, panicked, and started fanning his mouth like a lunatic. He ran in circles, freaking out like a scared rooster forced into a cockfight. India made an effort to stifle his laughter as he handed China some water that came from god-knows-where and gave a smile that seemed rather sadistic.

 _I guess that's where I get my creepiness,_ Philippines thought as he tried to convince himself that a distressed person should not be laughed at. He looked at Malaysia who buried her face into her hands in disappointment as Indonesia laughed shamelessly and jokingly commented on how graceful China's leaps of panic were.

"Ten out of ten!" Indonesia exclaimed. She then moved towards Philippines and placed her arms around his shoulders. "What do you think, Butuan?"

"He has excellent form," Philippines chimed. "If panicking was a sport, uncle China will win by a landslide."

"I was thinking the same thing!" Indonesia exclaimed.

"You two shouldn't be entertained by this," Malaysia murmured in exasperation.

"Aw… Pekan, loosen up a bit. It's not every day you get see all-powerful kingdoms get involved in ridiculous hijinks!" As Indonesia spoke, she started to pet Philippines' head as if it were a cat. "There's nothing wrong with acting goofy, Pekan. It's fun!"

Malaysia hesitated, but ultimately agreed.

Philippines had always found the dynamic between Malaysia and Indonesia interesting. If they were to star in a soap opera or a comedy cartoon, Malaysia would be cast as the pessimistic protagonist; Indonesia would be her character foil and the person who tries the hardest to break her out of her shell; and Philippines would either be the secondary comic relief or the third wheel. It's quite disappointing, but it is what it is. Together, the three of them would go on unbelievably surreal and hilarious adventures while maintaining good character development and an adequate amount of drama!

 _Word, dude. Story of my life,_ Philippines would joke.

Once China regained his composure, he glared at India, who still had that smile plastered on his face. What happened next was unclear to Philippines, because Indonesia completely blocked his vision. Despite that, he could still hear the two nations screaming at each other.

"Calm down, China! It wasn't that bad!" India tried to justify his actions. "Think of it as just a harmless prank!"

"Harmless!?" China shrieked incredulously, then coughed from the hot sauce. "Like hell it was aru!"

"Okay, then it's not a prank if that makes you happy!"

"Damn straight!" He coughed again. "But, no, that does not make me happy aru!"

"Well, just look on the bright side, if I didn't give you that water, you might've started to breathe fire! You would've been one step closer to becoming a dragon!"

"Dragon!?" Philippines could tell that he was running out of things to say. At this point, all he wanted to do was pummel India.

 _They're fighting like children,_ Philippines thought. This made him smile a little. Once Indonesia finally freed his eyes, he saw India and China flailing their arms at each other. Malaysia had already retreated to rest under a mango tree, while Indonesia had her chin snugly rested on top of Philippines' head. She was a bit heavy, but he didn't mind.

A big smile dominated Indonesia's face as she said, "I bet you my entire kingdom they're going to fight again."

A few seconds later, India jokingly asked, "How's your back?"

"Why would anything be wrong with my back?!" A tick mark appeared on China's forehead. "I am not that old aru!"

"I never said you were," India taunted with a grin.

"You're not as sneaky as Goryeo, but you're just as annoying aru," China sent him a warning glare.

"Yeah, sure. Okay," India waved it off. Philippines guessed that it probably wasn't the first time China had compared India to this 'Goryeo'.

"Who's Goryeo?" Philippines asked, curiously.

Malaysia briefly glanced at the two 'adults'. Indonesia crossed her arms and placed them on top of Philippines head. The three young kingdoms looked expectantly at China and India.

"You don't need to know aru," China quickly said, as if they had just asked him where human children came from.

"For now," India added, trying to sound mysterious.

China snapped. And so, this and everything India had done previously, finally earned him a couple of pandas to the face. Indonesia casually examined her nails. "Told you they'd start fighting again."

"Wow, who would've figured," Malaysia retorted, sarcastically.

Philippines laughed and started to cheer the two adults. It will still take him a while to fully understand that violence was bad, so for now he just enjoys it.

Malaysia restrained herself from rolling her eyes at him as she said, "You're such a boy, Butuan."

Philippines tried to stop laughing as he tilts his head. "Is that bad?"

"No it's not!" Indonesia quickly replied. "Pekan is just jealous, because you look prettier than her."

"I'm not pretty!" Philippines pouted.

"Exactly, he's not pretty," Malaysia agreed. "And that notion is completely off topic!"

 _Well, I guess that's something they can agree on._ Indonesia thought with a sweatdrop.

"I'm cute and badass!" Philippines proclaimed proudly.

"Uh, to be frank, you're neither..." Malaysia deadpanned. "You know what, you can be pretty if you want."

"What?! Nooo!" Philippines whined. "I wanna be panda!"

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** **Rajahnate of Butuan** ( _established in 1001_ ) - was an ancient Indic polity centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines.

 **Srivijaya** ( _established in the year 650_ ) - was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. **Pekan** \- an important site in the kingdom located in the modern-day state of Pahang, Malaysia.

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _China was quite secretive..._

 _They collectively agreed..._

 _What bullshit is that aru!?_


	5. More Goryeo

China was quite secretive, so when he refused to talk about Goryeo it didn't really come as a surprise. What surprised Philippines was the fact that India agreed to keep Goryeo's identity a secret. India rarely kept secrets, he would always pretend to be hesitant at first but the kids would always win him over.

...

Indonesia proposed a little competition (which Malaysia surprisingly agreed to): whoever gets the most accurate guess as to what Goryeo was like, will get to be the boss of the losers for a day. Driven by potential leadership, Philippines did his best to come up with multiple ideas for a day, but it didn't go so well. To be frank, his ideas were broad and vague. In the end, they decided to just bail on the competition. They combined their ridiculous ideas and came up with this.

They collectively agreed to imagine Goryeo as a woman with long black hair, pale skin, soul-piercing brown eyes, and a sinister smile. They guessed she was about as tall as China and probably just as old. They also assumed that since India seemed to know her, the three of them could have been childhood friends. Also, based on China's reaction to Philippines' question "who's Goryeo", they figured that she was probably an odd ball or a creepy stalker-lady. They also speculated that the reason why she gave China surprise visits was because of their secret past. (Malaysia suggested that they might've dated back in the day.)

Now that they had a somewhat solid character, it was time for the young kingdoms to see how accurate their guesses were. But before that, curiosity got the best of Philippines and he asked, "Of the three of us, which one would be Miss Goryeo?"

"Easy. That would be you," Malaysia said, bluntly.

"No! She's way too creepy!" Philippines said, pouting in absolute disapproval. He turned to Indonesia for support and found her thoughtfully rubbing her chin as if she had a beard.

"Well..." Indonesia started, "In my opinion, I'm lots of fun like uncle India and Pekan is like uncle China with all her quirks and stuff, so technically that leaves you to fill in Miss Goryeo's spot."

"But kak Srivijaya," Philippines whined, "I don't want to be a creepy stalker-lady!"

"Deal with it!" Indonesia teased while blowing a raspberry at me.

"You two are such boys," Malaysia murmured with distaste and was ignored.

Philippines pouted. Indonesia laughed as she patted the younger's head gently.

"Calm down, Butuan," Indonesia comforted. "We're not even sure if she really is creepy... or old... or even a lady."

"Still... uncle China's friends are weird," Philippines muttered under his breath.

"To be honest, Butuan, I don't want to be likened to a cranky old man like uncle China, but you don't see me complaining do you?"

Philippines would've argued that saying that was a clear implication of her complaint, but Indonesia beat him to it. Philippines took a couple of steps back as they glared at each other, he can almost feel the intensity of the crackling electricity between their glares. Just then, Philippines figured they kind of are like China and India. They have a complicated love-hate relationship that somehow works and, as much Philippines doesn't want to admit it, he really was the odd one out.

As a kick was given and a dodge was used as a response, Philippines sat on the soft grass and watched two girls fight each other like martial arts experts. He quickly and smartly stifled a laugh as Indonesia tripped and started rolling on the grass. A little later, as Philippines had just decided to stop Indonesia and Malaysia's brawl, he felt the tension intensify between their glares. He stopped mid-step and slowly sat back down on his grassy seat and stayed there until his big sisters finally settled their dispute. There's no way he'd ever put himself between two enraged, grass-and-dirt-covered girls.

...

Weeks later, Philippines decided, on his own, to share his and his sisters' whimsical thoughts with their parental figures/mentors. China and India asked Philippines to describe Goryeo to them – the former sounding rather apprehensive. Malaysia and Indonesia were also there, but they kept quiet and allowed the youngest of the three kingdoms to take the spotlight. Philippines joyfully did as he was told as his sisters took one step back every time they saw China flinch, which was a smart move on their part.

Immediately after Philippines mentioned China's love history with a kingdom who they collectively assumed was a female, a barrage of pandas immediately rained down on the young kingdom like meteorites. Luckily, Philippines was quick enough to dodge all of the cuteness and smart enough to also have India around as he shared their thoughts. China had good aim, if India wasn't there to hold him back Philippines would've been flattened by cuteness.

"What bullshit is that aru!?" China fumed.

"Whoa, I thought you said I'd never hear you swear like a pirate again," India said nonchalantly, as if he didn't have an irritated Chinese man forcefully trapped in his arms. Not even a room full of cute stuff could calm China down at this point.

"Shut up aru!"

"Relax, China. He's... just a... little kingdom!" India said, struggling to complete a sentence as China flailed in his arms.

"Unhand me aru!" China protested. "And stop making me look bad in front of the children aru!"

India gasped dramatically and placed his hands to his chest, dropping China in the process. "How dare you accuse me? I have never done such a thing!"

As expected, China became more enraged and since he could barely utter a word that made sense, it became India's responsibility to describe what Goryeo was like. Philippines applauded him for doing so while trying to calm an irritated Chinese man down.

"Well, you see, children," India started. "You couldn't have been more wrong. For starters, Goryeo is not a lady."

"Does _he_ live alone?" Philippines intervened ever so curious.

"I'll get to that in a second."

Apparently, Goryeo was an energetic young man with brown hair who is actually taller than China. India said he's easily detectable because of the peculiar hair-curl on the right side of his head. (India speculated that it was alive and Philippines fully supported his speculation.) India said he wasn't friends with Goryeo, but they were close-ish acquaintances.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews! Also, if you have any questions or requests don't be afraid to ask. If you would like to suggest a country to include in the story line I would be more than happy to entertain the idea.

 **Rajahnate of Butuan** ( _established in 1001_ ) - was an ancient Indic polity centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines.

 **Srivijaya** ( _established in the year 650_ ) - was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. **Pekan** \- an important site in the kingdom located in the modern-day state of Pahang, Malaysia.

 **Kingdom of Goryeo/Koryŏ** (established in the year 918) - was a Korean dynasty established by King Taejo. This kingdom later gave name to the modern exonym "Korea".

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _"Oh" was all Philippines could say..._

 _Which is exactly why I'm so baffled..._

 _Forget, everything I taught you..._


	6. Comparisons

"Oh" was all Philippines could say. They were wrong about Goryeo's physical appearance, but personality wise they were pretty on point, especially the creepy part. He had the tendency to request China to call him "big brother" and, for reasons unbeknownst to them, he had a weird obsession with (for lack of better term) China's breasts. He was also fond of claiming that anything, even the strangest items, all originated from his kingdom... or his and his brother's kingdom.

India said they looked very similar, the only difference were their personalities. One was more impulsive than the other. Goryeo's brother didn't really take on a name, which Philippines found very strange. He told himself that he will one day meet these two weirdos, no matter what China says. And so that concludes Philippines' childhood fascination with Goryeo and unnamed his brother, who he will later come to know as South Korea and North Korea.

China sighed in defeat. "Why do kingdoms have to start off as children aru? It would be so much easier if they were just adults from the start aru."

"Well, that's just how things work," India shrugged and placed a hand on China's shoulder. "Just think about it this way, they're not the first kingdoms you've taken care of, you've done this before-"

"I suppose you're right aru," China said.

"Which is exactly why I'm so baffled by your incapability to take care of these three kingdoms! I mean, there's just **three** of them!"

"Bì zuǐ!" China exclaimed. "I swear, India... you asshole aru!"

China finally calmed down after Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia sincerely apologized and told him that they will never ask or mention anything related to Goryeo ever again. China sighed tiredly and reached for Philippines' hair. It seems that when he was young, Philippines' head was a hand magnet. He didn't mind. He had always found the gesture endearing, but his sisters didn't seem to agree. Maybe it was because they were older than him.

Indonesia reasoned that she had to look tidy at all times because she had to be formally prepared if she ever encountered a new kingdom. Philippines told her that he perfectly understood. Although, truth be told, he still failed to recognize her reasons for distress over slightly ruffled hair, but he figured it couldn't be helped. As for Malaysia's reasons, she just didn't like being petted, which Philippines had trouble comprehending. _Kak Pekan is so weird_ , Philippines would often think to himself. Nonetheless, he continued idolize both his sisters.

While China was busy petting Philippines head, Indonesia and Malaysia slowly backed away, trying to escape the scene. But before they succeeded, India already had his arms around their shoulders.

"So..." India said, looking between the girls. "This isn't the first time you've heard China swear, right?"

Indonesia and Malaysia looked at each other.

"Does it matter, uncle? We hear our humans swear all the time. What's so bad about hearing uncle China swear?" Indonesia asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Mhm," Malaysia nodded, agreeing with what Indonesia said. The expression on her face showed what she felt about India's question: somewhat pointless.

"So, you have heard him swear before?" India insisted.

"Yes," Malaysia answered flatly, a strange air of confidence surrounded her. "Remember that time he was drunk?"

"Oh, that," India said, rubbing his chin. "Yes, I remember that. Wasn't he just lovely to have around?"

"No," Malaysia blankly answered India's sarcastic question.

China and Philippines were only a few feet away, so naturally they heard everything. Philippines could feel China's hand moving faster and faster, to the point where Philippines started to think that China had mistaken his head for dirty laundry.

The young kingdom personally didn't care if China drank alcohol or not; when he gets older he'll probably be the one to invite the elder nation for a drink. But China didn't know that, so his body slumped as he started murmuring under his breath like the last time the topic of alcohol consumption came up.

China grabbed Philippines by the shoulders and grimly said, "Forget, everything I ever taught you, Púduānguó. I've become a bad influence aru. My good qualities have been diluted time and time again by my careless actions from even before the day I met the very first personification I spoke to aru."

"What's her – uh, or his name?" Philippines asked.

China sighed in defeat and with the most monotone voice he could conjure he quickly said, "Right now we call him Khamag Mongol and I don't want you to know about him. So don't poke your nose into the subject, understood aru?"

"Yes, sir uncle China, sir!" Philippines said with a salute.

China's mouth twitched to a smile. "Good aru."

Just then, Philippines remembered what China had said and a devious smile found its way to the young kingdom's face. "Forget everything you've taught me, huh? Does this mean I can sweep the ground during New Year's Day?"

China quickly held his hand up and gave Philippines a look of horror. "Now, now, let's not go crazy aru."

"Aw," Philippines pouted.

"But," China moved closer and whispered, "You can sweep at night if you want aru."

"Woah!" India shouted. "Step away from the crazy Chinese man, Butuan. He wouldn't know bad luck even if it hits him in the head."

"Excuse me aru!" China shouts back, obviously taking offense to India's remark.

 _Oh no_ , Philippines thought. He looked around looking for his sisters but only saw a note attached to the trunk of a mango tree that said, " _We'll be back tomorrow. Good luck! Love you! ~Srivijaya & Pekan_"

Philippines sighed in defeat and quickly climbed up the tree. If he wanted to live to see another day, he needed to get as high up as possible. An insult to China's _feng shui_ meant war and India was more than happy to accept the challenge. Once Philippines reached the highest branch that could support his weight, he swiftly grabbed a nearby mango and started eating as China and India commenced extreme combat.

Philippines couldn't help but smile at the scene. He loved his family, but he didn't like the feeling of being the black sheep in it.

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** Apparently, that superstition about sweeping during nighttime has Indian origins and sweeping during New Year's Day has Chinese origins. _The more you know~!_

 **Goryeo** ( _established in the year 918_ ) - was a Korean dynasty established by King Taejo. This kingdom later gave name to the modern exonym "Korea".

 **Bì zuǐ!** ( _Mandarin_ ) - literally translates to "Close your mouth!" In other words, "Shut up!"

 **Srivijaya** ( _established in the year 650_ ) - was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. **Pekan** \- was an important site in the kingdom located in the modern-day state of Pahang, Malaysia.

 **Púduānguó** ( _established in the year 1001_ ) - is what the Chinese called the kingdom of Butuan, an ancient Indic polity centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines.

 **Khamag Mongol** ( _established during the 900s_ ) - was a major Mongolic tribal confederation on the Mongolian Plateau in the 12th century. It is sometimes also considered a predecessor state to the Mongol Empire.

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _Meet other personified kingdoms..._

 _I hope his wife approves..._

 _You sound like uncle China..._


	7. Usual Hustle and Bustle

_~1200's, Philippines looks like a 3 year old~_

Preparations for another busy day of bartering was underway. The seashore was overflowing with merchants, jewelry, medicinal products, silk, pottery, fine china and food. Philippines inhaled the familiar scent of mangoes. He sat under the shade of a stand, watching his humans set up stands.

Philippines hadn't seen China or India for three consecutive months. He reckoned it was either because his uncles were really busy or they simply wanted to take a break from watching over young kingdoms. Before they left, Philippines heard China quietly ask India, " _Why do I need to look after them aru? I have more important things to attend to and Mongol is starting to scare me."_

 _"Don't worry about Mongol, it's just a phase. Also, correction!" India retorted. "You're not the only one taking care of them, I am too! We're in this together!"_

 _"That doesn't reassure me aru," China deadpanned._

 _"Don't worry," India said with a comforting tone. "It wasn't supposed to."_

 _China scowled. "I hate you aru."_

This brought a small smile to Philippines' face. Since then, he has repeatedly tried to leave his kingdom for a while to check on the others. He figured it was the perfect way to meet other personified kingdoms. Besides, he needed to check on his other kingdoms anyway. But he couldn't find the time to leave. _Maybe I should schedule it with Raja again_ , Philippines thought. _I hope his wife approves this time_.

...

It was almost noon when Philippines spotted the silhouette of Indonesia's ships. He could almost smell the barrels of spices from where he was standing. He waved excitedly as her ship came closer to shore. She waved back with the same enthusiasm.

Philippines' first meeting with Indonesia was brief but unforgettable, mostly because of what she was wearing. That day, she wore an eye-catching golden headdress, partnered with multiple bracelets and necklaces, and a long dress with elaborate designs sewn with beads and golden threads. Calling her outfit stunning would be an understatement. Philippines remembers being mesmerized by the swaying beads of her dangling earrings.

Indonesia, currently known as Srivijaya, was the personification of one of the many great empires Philippines knew. When he was younger, Philippines was a part of her empire for a while before he separated to create his own kingdoms with some help from his uncles.

"Butuan, please help me unload the cargo!" Indonesia said after the ship has safely docked. Philippines quickly ran to her side and together they struggled to carry sacks to one of the stands. Once they reached the stand, they roughly dropped the sack on the ground. They repeated this procedure a couple of times before stopping to catch their breaths.

"What's in this, kak?" Philippines asked, poking one of the sacks.

"Rice," Indonesia says nonchalantly. She exhaled loudly and moved a few strands of her dark hair behind her ears.

"Yeah, but..." Philippines said opening the sack. He briefly caught a whiff of the rice powder, then quickly moved it near the other sacks and went back to where Indonesia was. "These are from kak Pekan's area. How come you brought these and not her?"

Believe it or not, kingdoms situated near China and India have the unusual ability to accurately pinpoint the location from where a pile of rice was grown just by smelling it. Before Philippines found out about this strange ability, he was convinced that he was the guardian of all rice.

Indonesia laughed and placed an arm on Philippines' shoulder. "Right! I took it into my own interest to bring these here since she's kind of busy with... guarding _my_ territory."

"Huh?" Philippines tilted his head. He hasn't quite developed a very competitive spirit. The lack of competition contributed to his slack reaction towards territorial disputes.

"I'm a bit weary of a neighboring kingdom. His name is Sukhothai if I remember correctly," Indonesia said.

"Sukho?"

"Sukhothai," Indonesia repeated. "He's been around since before I found you so it's only natural that you don't know him... It's actually a good thing you don't know him, Butuan."

"You sound like uncle China, kak," Philippines pouted.

Sukhothai was Thailand. Philippines had always been suspicious of him because of the stories his sisters have told him about the kingdom. He didn't really know much about the kingdom, but what he knew was enough to know that it was best to stay away from him.

"Psh, whatever," Indonesia waved my comment off. "Well, I need to go. I'll come back later once I'm finished selling most of the stuff I brought."

"No problem, kak," Philippines said and grabbed a mango from a nearby basket. He offered it to Indonesia. She politely refused and ruffled his hair. Her face exaggeratedly scrunched up in disgust. "What is it, kak?"

"Your hair is so sweatyyyy!" Indonesia jokingly whined as she frantically flailed her hand to get my hair sweat off.

Philippines pouted and reached up to cover his head. "You're sweaty!"

...

Later, Philippines got into an argument with one of his humans.

"But, my kingdom," the human said. "Two bags of garlic is more than enough for one giant tuna."

"I don't know, it doesn't really sound like a good deal," Philippines argued. "How about three bags of garlic?"

"That's seems like too much."

"Two and a half?"

When Philippines first started selling items, he quickly lost interest while trying to negotiate. It was boring to him. His attitude only changed once China told him that to become a successful kingdom he must be well-versed and knowledgeable in the field of business. He must be resourceful, systematic and goal-oriented. For him, selling items to other kingdoms was easy since his neighbors usually came to his islands instead of him travelling to theirs. Unfortunately, that limited his travelling experience. It would've be great to be able to travel to different kingdoms, but Philippines used to fear the ocean despite being an archipelago.

One time, he almost didn't make it to China due to an unreasonable panic attack. It was something political, so it was mandatory for him to be there. One of his humans had the "brilliant" idea of knocking him out until the boat reached China, but he unfortunately woke up before the boat reached land. This resulted in Philippines punching the living daylights out of the genius. His other humans didn't really know how cease him, so they just took a step back and prayed for their crew-mate.

Thankfully, he had already gotten over this fear. He finally decided that he was more scared of failing as a personification than drowning. Also, China reassured him that kingdoms won't die from drowning. Since then he's been doing annual visits to his kingdoms.

...

Near his house, Philippines was sitting under a mango tree with India. India had decided to teach him how to write. He practiced by writing all of the names he had at the time again and again, then India checked my writing to see if it was legible.

"Ma-i, Tondo, Butuan, Cebu… Wow, that's a lot of names," India commented as he peeled a mango.

"Is that bad, uncle?"

"No, not at all," India smiled. "I have lots of names too."

"Really?"

"Yup, now open," India said and fed me the mango. It was a fun memory. India has influenced him a lot as a child, but the best thing he inherited from the older nation is his love for mangoes.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a screaming China. They both jumped in surprise and Philippines almost spilled the ink he was using if not for India's quick movements.

"What is it, China?" India whined. He clicked his tongue noticing a drop of ink on his hand.

"There's a newly formed kingdom of the coast of the peninsula where Pekan lives aru. And you know what the best part is, Púduānguó?" China asked, addressing Philippines. The young kingdom merely blinked as a response. "He's not a child, he's a teenager aru!" China looked very pleased, clapping his hands excitedly. Philippines furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of the happy empire. This was news.

"Are you sure that's good news?" India asked. "I mean, you know what teenagers are like, right?"

"Of course aru!" China exclaimed. "This means even early in his life he's already a successful kingdom! I can't wait to meet him aru!"

"Uncle China, what is he called?" Philippines asked.

"He's called Singapura aru!" China said. "I'm going to visit his kingdom after I trade here."

"Oh, I'll come with!" India proclaimed.

"Maupod man ko!" Philippines followed up.

"Sure, let's go!" China said as he skipped away.

Philippines' eyes widened. Very rarely does China agree to take him places. With that in mind, he shared in the empire's enthusiasm. He quickly hid his writing materials in his house while India waited for him outside. Once he came back outside, he saw a bewildered India.

"Uncle, are you all right?" Philippines said, grabbing India's hand.

"Yeah, it's just... do you think he's drunk again?"

"I don't think so... I think maybe he's just genuinely ecstatic," Philippines said with a smile. It was quite funny to see China acting like that.

"Hm, maybe... It's been a while since I've seen him like that. Let's go meet this new kingdom, shall we?" India asked, offering to link arms with the young kingdom.

Philippines didn't link arms with him. "Let's just go, uncle!" He instead grabbed India's elbow with both hands and pulled the older nation with him.

* * *

 **( ' - ')**

* * *

 **AN:** I am so sorry for not updating! I had to focus on my finals. I'll try updating faster now since it's finally summer!

 **Maupod man ko!** ( _Hiligaynon_ ) - I'll come with you too!

 **Púduānguó** ( _established in the year 1001_ ) - is what the Chinese called the kingdom of Butuan, an ancient Indic polity centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan in what is now the southern Philippines.

 **Srivijaya** ( _established in the year 650_ ) - was a dominant thalassocratic city-state based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. **Pekan** \- was an important site in the kingdom located in the modern-day state of Pahang, Malaysia.

 **Singapura** ( _established in the year 1299_ ) - was a historical Malay kingdom that existed on the island of Singapore. It rose from a small Srivijayan trading outpost into a centre of international trade with strong ties with Yuan Dynasty (China).

* * *

 _Preview:_

 _He isn't late so he took his time..._

 _His constipated look is worse than usual..._

 _Yeah, yeah, just do it..._


End file.
